BEIJING, Jan. 24 (Xinhuanet) -- Texas Instruments announces that it has integrated most of the computing functions of

Texas Instruments will announce today that it has integrated most of the computing functions of a mobile phone onto a single microchip, an innovation that may lead to lower manufacturing costs and improvements like longer battery life and higher data transfer rates.

a mobile phone onto a single microchip and Nokia is expected to use it first in the low-end but high-volume section of its wireless phones lines.

    The new chip, which TI calls its Digital RF Processor (RF stands for radio frequency) or DRP, incorporates all the major functions of a mobile phone onto a single chip. The only things the chip doesn't do is store the programs that run on the phone--that's what flash memory is for--and manage the power flow from the battery.

    At present, the components of a mobile phone include numerous specialized chips that control functions like sending and receiving radio frequencies, managing power and overseeing the phone's basic computing functions.

    "This isn't an incremental step," said Bill Krenik, manager of wireless advanced architectures for Texas Instruments. "It's a big leap forward."

    TI disclosed that it has landed a deal with Nokia that will have the handset maker, starting in 2006, using a new generation TI chip in phones.    

    "By incorporating TI's ... technology into a single chip, Nokia mobile phones will provide the ideal mix of cool features and cost-effectiveness, making them more attractive to the mass market place," said Juha Pinomaa, vice president of Nokia's entry business line of phones, in a statement.  Enditem

    (Agencies)